Various types of tension testing tools are known in the prior art ranging from relatively elaborate permanently mounted testing devices to portable hand-held devices. One known type of portable hand-held tension testing tool for wires or cables is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,635 issued to F. J. Knight on Feb. 20, 1957. In the Knight device, there is provided a hand-held tension testing tool utilizing a plier-type arrangement with a dial gauge positioned to read the amount of compressive force exerted on the opposed handles of the device in a direct reading fashion, i.e., the dial gauge is mounted to one of the arms of the plier-type device and the plunger element of the dial gauge operates against the other of the arms. The two arms of the device extend slightly beyond a pivot point with one of the arms having apparatus for attaching one end of a cable or wire and the other has apparatus for holding a solderless or crimped terminal. As illustrated in the patent, the device can be used for tensile testing of wire or for testing of the connection between a solderless terminal and a wire, providing the solderless terminal is of the type which terminates in a screw receiving end. The Knight patent does not disclose how one could use the device for testing the connection between the cable and a solderless terminal pin. Another disadvantage of the Knight device is that the connection between the cable and the terminal pin must be pulled taught prior to actuation of the handle since there is no facility for collecting any additional cable. This also requires that the force exerted by the operator on the handles of the tool be equal to the amount of force required for the testing. For larger cables, this amount of force could be relatively large and may result in undue strain by an operator.
Another type of tension testing tool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,272,002 issued to W. H. Dickman on Sept. 13, 1966. The Dickman patent shows a device which has essentially a plier-like arrangement and utilizes the same type of tension testing method as disclosed by Knight, i.e., all of the force required to affect the tensioning of the cable must be applied directly by the operator of the hand tool. In Dickman, the measuring device is a breakover device which often provides relatively inaccurate readings.